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Each week a small segment of Vernon County history is published in the county papers.
For the week of 4/5/2026
by Kristen Parrott, curator
The Vernon County Museum and History Center is now on its spring hours, open to the public Monday through Friday, 11AM to 4PM, or by appointment. Call us at 608-637-7396, or email us at museum@vernoncountyhistory.org, to make an appointment.
April is the time to eat at Culver’s in Viroqua so you can participate in their community “Change for Change” campaign, which benefits the Vernon County Historical Society this month. Either leave coins in the jar on the counter at the cash register, or round up your total at the end of your transaction. A little bit of spare change from each customer will hopefully amount to a large donation to our organization at the end of April.
Come learn about Readstown and its history at our next public program. Julie Roberts of the Readstown Historical Society will talk about the founding of the village and its development through the modern day, and Nan Alexander will talk about Readstown-area schools. The program will be held on Tuesday, April 21, at 7PM, at the Vernon County Museum and History Center. (Note the change from our usual day of the month.) Everyone is welcome to attend. We ask for a donation of $2.50 per person to help us defray costs.
Thank you to everyone who has contacted us about the painter and muralist Ernest Hüpeden, who lived and worked in Vernon County in the 1890’s. We are seeking more information about his time in this region, other than the years he spent in Valton working on his masterpiece, the Painted Forest.
So far we have learned that Hüpeden lived in La Farge for a while. He worked at the Thayer lumberyard in La Farge, and painted a mural in the office there. He also painted a mural in the house where he lived in the village. And, he painted a wall in a bar in nearby Yuba, in Richland County.
The John Michael Kohler Arts Center has acquired some of Hüpeden’s work, including the “Lumber Office Scene” from the Thayer lumberyard. You can learn more from the art center website.
For the week of 3/29/2026
by Kristen Parrott, curator
Criminal ancestors will be the topic of the next genealogy class! On Thursday, April 9, at 10AM, Norwegian genealogist Liv Marit Haakenstad will present a program called “A Tinsmith, a Traveler, and a Thief”, via Zoom from her home in Norway. In the year 1900, a tinsmith came to Lærdal in Sogn og Fjordane, Norway, and rented a room from a widow. But, was he really a tinsmith? And what can we find out about ancestors who were on the wrong side of the law?
Liv Marit is an author, speaker, and professional genealogist. She served as a visiting professor at Brigham Young University in the spring of 2025, and is currently working on a research project about “Norwegians in Utah, 1825-1920”. She has also worked for the National Criminal Investigation Service of Norway (“Kripos”) on a cold case.
New students are always welcome at the genealogy class. Vernon County Historical Society members attend for free, and non-members are asked to pay $5 per class session. Classes are held in the first-floor conference room at the Vernon County Museum and History Center.
Karve In 10 will be held on Saturday, April 11, from 10AM to 4PM, at the Westby High School’s old gym at 206 West Ave. S. in Westby. The Karve In is an annual event showcasing area woodcarvers, and this is the event’s 10th year. Norwegian heritage, including the Norwegian tradition of woodcarving, is an important part of this gathering.
There will be seminars, vendors, food, and much more. The Vernon County Historical Society and other area historical societies will have tables at the Karve In to display woodcarvings from our own collections and to share information about what we do. Karve-In 10 is free, and everyone is welcome to attend.
The Vernon County Museum and History Center is now on its spring hours, open to the public Monday through Friday, 11AM to 4PM, or by appointment. Call us at 608-637-7396, or email us at museum@vernoncountyhistory.org, to make an appointment.
A small collection of Roger and Miriam Hatlem’s painted woodcarvings of birds will be on exhibit at the Karve In 10.
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